Automated installation
From Wikitech
Revision as of 19:23, 29 January 2009 by Tomasz Finc (Talk | contribs)
We have an automated installation system for Ubuntu server, using the Ubuntu installer and preseeding.
Contents |
How to install a server
Information needed
- MAC Address
- Note the mac address either from it being printed on the hardware, seeing it on boot or looking it up from the system bios within the management console.
- Internal or external based host
- Choose whether this will be an externally visible host like zwinger.wikimedia.org or if its private like srv98.pmtpa.wmnet
- Network_design is a good reference point for understanding what vlans are available for the network.
- Apply the correct vlan settings as documented at IOS_howto#moving_vlans.
Setup
- Add the host to the dhcpd.conf file on zwinger found in "/etc/dhcp.conf" and restart dhcpd.
- Connect through the mngmnt interface of your new host, power on the server, and netboot the box (e.g. hit F-12 during bootup if it's a Dell).
- There are far more detailed instructions on how to interact with the remote management interfaces at Remote_management
If all works well, you should pull down an automated install from zwinger and lots of magical things will transpire until you get to the partitioning screen.
- Follow the guidelines at partitioning on how best to slice up the disks.
- After boot up, log in using the root ssh key, and manually set the root password.
Outstanding issues
- Partitioning
- mcelog
- security.ubuntu.com
- SSH keys repository
- Grub PXE booting
- Automatic setting of root password
Problems
My host turned on through the management interface but got no dhcp lease
- Check /var/log/dhcpd.log on zwinger to see if the hosts request was ever received.
- If it wasn't then there might be a link issue between the two hosts.
- If it is there then pay attention to the error message. A message of no leases available can mean many things.
- Check the mac address in dhcpd.conf to make sure you entered in the right address.
- Make sure you have set the proper vlan on the switch that your new host is connected to.
